Review #270: Bunnahabhain 18

Islay - 18 - NCF - NCA - $140 - 46.3%

This is a Bunnahabhain 18 year old OB.  From their website, they say it is exclusive sherry distillation and not much else. That is enough to get me excited.  

Color - Tawny

Nose - Dried fruit and salt, figs, almonds, orange peel, fresh sea spray, peanut brittle
Palate - Caramel, chocolate, apricots, apples, salt

Finish - Long - Caramel, big sherried fruit, vanilla, that fades to chocolate, apricots and sea spray

Overall - 6.5 - This is really nice, everything I wanted from it.  Enough complexity combined with easy drinking.  Some sips, I find a little too saline, sometimes it is balanced.  That is the only reason this is not getting an 8.  I am still on the edge on if I will pick up my own bottle.  As I drink my way through the bottle, I kept picking up more notes, I am leaning towards buying it.  

Edit: After contemplation I lowered this to a 6.5 from 7.5 due to the salinity.  It is just a little too salty for me.  

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Rating system is price influenced as it is based on my shopping decisions when buying a bottle.

10 Best in Show

9 Great Dram for Special Occasions

8 Worthy of consistent spot in my collection

7 Worth picking up a bottle if in the mood

6 I would buy a bottle if it went on sale
5.5 I really enjoyed but it will never be priced at where I would buy a bottle

5 I would drink it happily if offered

4 I would drink it if offered on the rocks

3 Maybe some soda will make this potable

2 I'll Pass

1 Toilet cleaner

Inclusive Ratings

Overall 6.1

Standard Deviation 0.92

Skew 0.66

Kurtosis -0.16